A healthy, rested Matt Barnes could make a huge difference for the Red Sox in the postseason. Teammates at UConn, Barnes, overpowering in his one inning against the Yankees on Sunday, and the Rockies' Scott Oberg are both integral parts of playoff teams.

A healthy, rested Matt Barnes could make a huge difference for the Red Sox in the postseason. Teammates at UConn, Barnes, overpowering in his one inning against the Yankees on Sunday, and the Rockies' Scott Oberg are both integral parts of playoff teams. (Charles Krupa / Associated Press)

The call came early for Scott Oberg last October. The second inning of the NL Wild Card game, and he was in there, pitching to the heart of the Diamondbacks order and trying to keep the Rockies in the game.

“It’s a bigger stage. The games carry a lot more meaning,” Oberg said by phone this week from a jubilant Rockies clubhouse, “but when you’re out there, you have to concentrate on making one pitch at a time. I know it sounds cliched, but that’s the truth. You’ve got to find a way to be comfortable in those uncomfortable spots.”

Oberg, the former UConn closer, struck out Paul Goldschmidt and J.D. Martinez, two of the best hitters in baseball, stranded a runner at third, then passed on the pitching baton. Colorado lost the game and went home, but now Oberg knows what “high leverage” situations are like in October, and he’s back for more.

Jose M. Osorio / Chicago Tribune

UConn's Scott Oberg has been a different pitcher since returning from the minor leagues on May 29, going 8-1 with a 1.62 ERA.

UConn's Scott Oberg has been a different pitcher since returning from the minor leagues on May 29, going 8-1 with a 1.62 ERA. (Jose M. Osorio / Chicago Tribune)

Same goes for Matt Barnes, Oberg’s old college teammate. In Game 2 of the 2016 Division Series, Barnes relieved David Price and threw 11/3 innings in relief.

All signs indicate the Rockies will be relying on Oberg, and the Red Sox on Barnes, to get important postseason outs beginning this week, the kind of moments that make or break a season, sometimes a career.

And this is an anomaly of baseball. Barnes ($605,000) and Oberg ($555,000), like most middle relievers, make a fraction of what top-level starting pitchers or closers make, and yet can so often be the thread by which the hopes built over an entire season hang. The Red Sox push their high-end starters deeper than most teams, but there will still be outs needed before the ball goes to closer Craig Kimbrel and, despite those franchise-record 108 wins the bullpen has folks uneasy in Boston.

When you look [to the bullpen], look at the stuff we’ve got, the experience, and one of the best closers in the game — it gives you a lot of confidence— UConn's Matt Barnes, on Red Sox relief corps

“For a good portion of the season, we were one of the best bullpens in the league,” said Barnes, who was 6-4 with a 3.65 ERA and 96 strikeouts in 612/3 innings. “Every team goes through some struggles, but when you look down there [to the bullpen], look at the stuff we’ve got, the experience, and one of the best closers in the game — when you combine all that stuff, it gives you a lot of confidence.”

The Rockies are more apt to turn it over to their bullpen, making it more likely that Oberg will be in critical mid- and late-game spots.

In Monday’s NL West tiebreaker, he pitched two-thirds of an inning, giving up two hits and no runs in the Rockies’ 5-2 loss to the Dodgers. He got the Dodgers’ Manny Machado to hit into a double play. The Rockies next face the Cubs on Tuesday in the NL Wild Card game.

Ever since I’ve come back up from the minor leagues, it’s kind of an overall confidence boost that I’ve had and it continues to grow every outing I have.— UConn's Scott Oberg, Rockies reliever

“We would have a lot of conversation about being able to control the emotions during the outings themselves,” Oberg said, “because you can get swept up in the atmosphere and the crowd. The important thing is understanding that you have to treat it like any other game — even though you know that it’s not.”

Barnes said: “When you get to the postseason, every pitch really matters. One swing of the bat can drastically change the outcome of a game, which can drastically change the outcome of the series. But the biggest thing is, you still have to find a way to do what you’ve done to help you get there. You know everything matters so much — but you can’t think about that.”

Oberg and Barnes, both 28, know the ups and downs that go with major league relieving. After giving up five runs in one-third of an inning on April 23, Oberg found himself back in the minor leagues.

“It was a little bit of a tough time for me personally,” he said, “having a strong end of the campaign from the year prior, having some high expectations going into the year and then having one really bad outing that led to them sending me down. It was a little disheartening. I was a little upset with myself. I realized there’s really no point in wallowing in self-pity here. I’ve got to take advantage of the time I have to go back to the chalkboard and reevaluate some things and see what needs adjustments.”

Oberg decided to throw more four-seam fastballs to his glove side, fewer two-seamers to his arm side. Subtle adjustments can change everything for a short-stint reliever. Oberg returned to Colorado on May 29, and in 46 appearances since, he is 8-1 with a 1.60 ERA, 47 strikeouts in 45 innings.

“That’s the life of a reliever,” Oberg said. “You’re having shorter outings, and they’re not as frequent, especially if the results aren’t where you want them to be. It takes a while to have the confidence from the manager to have the confidence to put you back out there in certain situations. Sometimes, when you don’t throw well, you’ve got to sit on a week or so before you get another chance to throw.”

The Rockies, the Hartford Yard Goats’ parent club, won eight in a row to clinch a playoff spot Saturday. If they win Tuesday, they will advance to the Division Series.

Oberg struck out five of seven batters he faced Thursday and Friday. He’s got Black’s confidence, not to mention a new baby girl — Oberg and his wife, Diana Fillpek, welcomed Charlotte Rose Oberg into the world on Aug. 13, so life’s good.

“Honestly, ever since I’ve come back up from the minor leagues, it’s kind of an overall confidence boost that I’ve had,” Oberg said, “and it continues to grow every outing that I have.”

Barnes, a first-round pick in 2011, reached a new level this season, his fastball hitting 97 and 98 mph, averaging better than 1.5 strikeouts an inning. The appearances and innings mounted, and after he was hit hard by Miami on Aug. 28, Barnes was shut down for a couple of weeks to rest a sore hip.

After returning, Barnes threw a couple of scoreless innings, then was hit hard Sept. 26. Manager Alex Cora got Barnes an inning against the Yankees on Sunday, and looks to unleash a fresh arm in the Division Series beginning Friday, against the Yankees or Oakland.

“He’s healthy,” Cora said. “The stuff is there. Not too many swings and misses like earlier in the season. The velocity is a tick down, but we do feel that come next week, the velocity will be up and that will make the difference with the breaking ball.”

Barnes dialed it up in his scoreless sixth inning Sunday, striking out two, getting five swings-and-misses on 12 pitches, including a 98 mph fastball to strike out Gary Sanchez.

“It was the best stuff I’ve had in the last couple of weeks, at least,” said Barnes, who is also at a major point in life, planning a January wedding with fiancee Chelsea Zara. “It was nice to end the season on a good note, feeling good with some good stuff. Excited to move forward into the postseason.”